How do you use Snapchat chat?

Using Snapchat's chat feature is a straightforward way to communicate with friends through text, photos, videos, and voice messages. Here's a step-by-step guide on how to use Snapchat chat effectively:

### Starting a Chat

1. **Open Snapchat**: Launch the Snapchat app on your device.

2. **Go to the Chat Screen**: Tap on the chat icon in the bottom-left corner of the screen. This icon looks like a speech bubble.

3. **Select a Friend**:
   - **New Chat**: If you want to start a new conversation, tap on the "New Chat" button at the top right of the chat screen (it looks like a speech bubble with a "+" sign).
   - **Existing Chat**: If you want to continue an existing conversation, scroll through the list of recent chats and tap on the name of the friend you want to chat with.

4. **Start Typing**: Once you're in the chat screen, type your message in the text field at the bottom of the screen. You can also use emojis, stickers, and Bitmoji if desired.

5. **Send the Message**: Tap the blue send button (an arrow) to send your message.

### Sending Media and Other Content

1. **Send Photos/Videos**:
   - **Snap Camera**: Tap the camera icon next to the text field to take a photo or video directly from the chat screen.
   - **Gallery**: Tap the gallery icon (a picture frame) to choose a photo or video from your device's gallery.

2. **Send Voice Messages**:
   - **Hold Down the Microphone**: Tap and hold the microphone icon in the text field to record a voice message. Release the icon to send the voice message.

3. **Send Stickers or Bitmoji**:
   - **Stickers**: Tap the sticker icon (a square with a smiley face) to browse and send stickers.
   - **Bitmoji**: Tap the Bitmoji icon to send Bitmoji stickers if you've linked your Bitmoji account.

### Managing Chats

1. **View Chat Settings**:
   - **Chat Settings**: Tap on the three vertical dots in the upper-right corner of the chat screen to access chat settings, where you can manage notifications and chat history.

2. **Clear Conversations**:
   - **Clear All Chats**: Go to your profile, tap on the gear icon (Settings), select **"Clear Conversations"** under the Privacy section, and choose which chats you want to clear.

3. **Mute Notifications**:
   - **Mute a Friend**: If you want to mute notifications for a particular chat, go to the chat, tap on their name at the top, then select **"Mute"**.

### Deleting Chats

1. **Delete Individual Messages**:
   - **Long Press**: Tap and hold on a message you've sent or received, then select **"Delete"**. This will remove the message from both your chat history and your friend's.

2. **Clear Entire Chat**:
   - **Clear Conversation**: Go to your profile, tap on **"Clear Conversations"**, and choose which conversations you want to clear.

### Using Chat Features

1. **Chat Reactions**:
   - **React to Messages**: Tap and hold on a message to react with emojis.

2. **Send Snaps in Chat**:
   - **Attach Snaps**: You can also send Snaps directly within the chat by tapping the camera icon and taking a new Snap or choosing one from your Memories.

Using these features, you can keep your conversations engaging and interactive on Snapchat.